


A Tale of Fatigue

by TheSaltyCrocodile



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Cookies, F/F, Fluff, Humor, Laura is really tired, Naked Laura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-12 20:48:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7948516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSaltyCrocodile/pseuds/TheSaltyCrocodile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's finals week at Silas and Laura is exhausted. All she wants for her birthday is to spend time with Carmilla, but her vampire has other plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Tale of Fatigue

“Cupcake,” Carmilla whispered quietly. “Laura? Why don’t you go to bed.”

Laura, slumped over her books at the table, sat up with a start. “What time is it?” she asked, frantically. “Did I miss it? Is it morning?”

Carmilla chuckled, peeling a piece of paper off of Laura’s cheek. It was finals week at Silas, and Laura had been up late every night cramming for her exams. Tomorrow marked the very last day – and coincidentally, also Laura’s birthday.

“It’s nearly one o’clock,” she replied. “Go to bed.”

“I can’t, Carm,” Laura practically whined. “It’s biology tomorrow, and I know _nothing_ about the skeletal system! I have 206 bones to memorize before morning!”

Carmilla fought not to smile. “Laura? You had biology today already.”

For a minute, Laura simply stared at her. Then she lowered her head into her hands. “I’m so tired,” she groaned. “I can’t even think straight.” Then her head snapped back up again. “What exams are there tomorrow?!” Frantically, she pulled out her schedule. “European History and English lit,” she muttered, looking it over. She shook her head, pulling a different textbook towards herself. “You go to bed, Carm,” she said without looking at her. “I’ll be up for a – for a while.”

Her words were punctuated with yawns. Carmilla frowned. “Cupcake, you’re exhausted. Sleep is going to do you more good than studying, I promise.”

But Laura shook her head. “I just need to learn the dates of all the important wars,” she said determinedly. “I’ll join you soon. I promise.”

Carmilla sighed. “Alright then. I’m going out for a little while. I’ll be back before morning.” At the door, she turned back. “Hey, Laura? Happy birthday.”

Once again, Laura stared, and then checked her watch. Her face split into the first smile Carmilla had seen all week. “It’s my birthday,” she said.

“Yes, it is, cutie,” Carmilla agreed. “And tonight we’re going to celebrate, just you and me.” Swiftly, she crossed the room and pulled Laura into a kiss. “Don’t stay up too late,” she said, heading for the door again.

“I won’t,” Laura promised. “Goodnight, Carm.”

Carmilla winked. “Goodnight, cutie,” she said, and then was gone.

Laura turned back to her books, fighting to keep her eyes open. “Why did I ever think university was a good idea?” she groaned.

  
\------

  
The next thing Laura knew, she was being shaken awake by a gentle hand.

“Hey cutie, you need to get up and going,” came Carmilla’s voice. “It’s late.”

Laura sat up. She was still at the table, her books spread out before her. She wiped drool off her cheek.

“How late did you stay up last night?” Carmilla asked.

“I don’t – I don’t know,” Laura yawned. “Three o’clock? Four?” She checked her watch, and bolted upright. “Why didn’t you wake me?” she demanded. “My exam starts in an hour!”

Carmilla handed her her backpack. “I’ve packed it already,” she said. “Your favourite pens are in the front pocket. There’s lunch in there too.”

Laura was already running to the bathroom. “Thanks, Carm!” she called. Hurriedly, she brushed her teeth and her hair, changed her clothes, then grabbed the backpack and was out the door. “See you tonight!” she yelled behind her.

  
\------

The adrenaline wore off quickly, and by the time Laura was on the bus to campus, she was already fighting to stay awake. The grey, dreary weather didn’t help, and by the time Laura reached the hall where she was to sit her final two exams, her head felt like mush. Waiting outside, she unzipped the front of her backpack to get her pens, and found a paper bag. A note on it, written in Carmilla’s handwriting, said, _You should never start your day without a proper breakfast._ Inside the bag, to Laura’s delight, was a chocolate croissant – one of her favourite treats. Happily, she scoffed it, just as the students were called inside to find their seats.

The sugar from the croissant helped her, and she found herself able to concentrate for the duration of the exam. She emerged feeling lighter – but still dreading the history exam to come that afternoon.

Finding a spot on the nearby grass where she could wait out her hour break until the next exam, Laura opened the main part of her backpack to find the promised lunch. Pulling out a large bag, she inspected the contents, and grinned with delight. In addition to the sandwich, grape soda and packet of cookies that were in the bag, was a small, wrapped gift. Inside it was a new sonic screwdriver from the twelfth Doctor, which Laura had been admiring for weeks.

_In case of emergencies during the exam,_ read the note stuck to it. Laura tucked it into her pocket happily, already reaching for the sandwich.

Once she was done eating lunch, Laura stretched out on the grass. Within moments, she was asleep.

  
\------  


“Laura?”

Someone shook her awake. Laura opened her eyes blearily, and found Perry looking down at her.

“Are you alright?” Perry asked. “What are you doing here?”

Laura stared at her, and struggled to answer the question. “What am I… doing here?” she repeated vaguely. She sat up.

“I was… waiting for my exam,” Laura managed. Why couldn’t she think straight? She supposed the five nights in a row of less than four hours sleep had to take a toll on her eventually.

“Well, you’d better hurry,” Perry frowned. “They’ve just called everyone in.”

Laura sighed, and fought to get to her feet. “Thanks, Perr.

“Of course,” Perry replied, as Laura hauled her backpack on, and staggered towards the hall. “Oh, and happy birthday!” she called brightly. Laura acknowledged this with a tiny wave of her hand.

  
\------

The exam that afternoon did not go well. None of the dates Laura had memorized seemed to stay in her head, and she couldn’t focus on the essay topics she was supposed to be tackling. After reading through her essay, she was fairly sure that she had not been supposed to write about whether women in the 1600s had looked attractive in the clothes of the time. She was also reasonably certain that she should probably not have devoted an entire page to what Carmilla would have looked like back in that time period, nor should she have rated the sexiness of the outfits on her. However, Laura was so tired that the world was practically swimming in front of her, and she was just pleased to have written anything at all.

When it was finally over, Laura stumbled out of the large hall, almost tripping over desks as she went. Outside, she sank back down onto the grass for a moment, hoping to clear her head. She dug in her backpack for her bottle of water, and came up instead with another wrapped gift.

Finding the energy to smile, Laura unwrapped it, finding inside a packet of Canadian cookies. Laura gasped in surprise. These were her favourite cookies, and she had had yet to find them anywhere in Styria. Reverently, she put the cookies back into the backpack, and set off for the bus stop, excited to share them with Carmilla.

Carmilla… her vampire who had been so good to her. Who had left her sweet and thoughtful gifts in order to help her get through her last exams, and make her feel special on her birthday. As Laura boarded the bus, she decided she definitely needed to thank Carmilla as soon as she got home… and despite how tired she was, despite her wish to go right to bed and stay there, she knew just how she wanted to thank her girlfriend.

She almost fell asleep on the bus, but by some miracle was awake for her stop. Finally making it up the stairs and to the front door of her and Carmilla’s apartment, Laura sighed with happiness.

“Carm?” she called out, as she entered the apartment.

“In here,” came the reply from the living room.

A smile slid over Laura’s face, and she quickly began to strip, leaving her discarded clothes on the floor as she walked towards the living room. Pausing only to wriggle out of her underwear, Laura entered the darkened room, straining to see her vampire.

“Surprise!” a chorus of voices called, making Laura jump. The light flipped suddenly on.

Laura, standing there completely naked, froze.

And so did the ten faces staring back at her.

For a moment, nobody moved. Then, suddenly, Perry slapped her hands over the eyes of the two people closest to her – LaFontaine and Kirsch. Danny was staring at Laura, open mouthed, seemingly unable to take her eyes away.

Finally finding the ability to move again, Laura quickly moved her hands to cover herself. She stared desperately around the room, and couldn’t find Carmilla.

“Carmilla,” Mattie drawled, without looking away from Laura. “Your pet is making a display of herself.”

Carmilla emerged from the kitchen, carrying an enormous birthday cake, candles lit. She stopped short at the sight of Laura standing in the doorway covered by nothing but her hands. Letting out a growl, she set down the cake and then in a blur, so fast nobody could see it happen, she draped a blanket around Laura. Laura clutched it gratefully.

Carmilla looked around at the people gathered in the room. “Anybody who has been looking at my girlfriend,” she said, voice low and dangerous, “is in very. Big. Trouble.” Her gaze lingered on Danny.

“I looked,” Mattie smirked. “I must say, Carmilla, I understand now what you… _see_ in her.” She winked at Laura and then looked back at Carmilla. “Go ahead. I’m not scared of you, little sister.”

“We came to wish you a happy birthday!” La Fontaine said loudly to Laura. “It was a surprise!”

Carmilla growled.

“Yeah, little hottie!” Kirsch added, just as loudly, as Carmilla and Mattie sized one another up. “Happy birthday!”

“Congratulations!” Perry practically shouted, moving almost imperceptibly backwards as Carmilla took a step towards Mattie. “You’re twenty, Laura!”

Laura looked around, opened her mouth to speak, and then fled. In the bedroom, she hastily pulled on a fresh set of clothes. Could she go back in there? To all those people who had just seen her naked?

Sighing, Laura knew she had to. Carmilla, who hated parties, had thrown one for her birthday. Laura couldn’t let herself ruin the gesture.

_Well,_ she thought. _At least I can’t humiliate myself any further_.

Timidly, she returned to the living room, sidling up to Perry and LaFontaine, and sitting down on the couch next to them. Mattie and Carmilla were nowhere to be seen.

“Are you okay?” LaFontaine asked her. “That was quite an entrance.”

“Yes, I’m… fine,” Laura said. She rested her head against the back of the couch. “Thank you for coming. How were your exams today?”

She immediately tuned out of the answers they were giving her. The couch was soft, and the room was warm, and Laura’s head was spinning again.

“And then the professor told me, “There’s no such thing as vampires!” LaFontaine finished, and the others burst into laughter. Laura urgently tried to join in, and found she couldn’t.

Perry looked around at her. “Are you sure you’re alright, Laura?” she asked. “Are you well? You look… hot.”

Laura blinked. “I’m fine,” she said airily. “I feel fine. I’m just tired.”

Well, _that_ was certainly true, she thought, as the others began to talk again. She didn’t think she’d ever been so tired in her life. All she wanted was to go to bed, although with so many people here, she didn’t think that would be an option. She supposed she would need to talk to everyone, and if she went to bed they would all have to join her, and frankly, she didn’t think they would all fit.

“I don’t even _want_ you in my bed with me,” she exclaimed out loud. The conversation stopped. Danny, who had wandered over, looked offended.

“I never asked to be,” she said sharply. “I _have_ moved on, you know.”

Laura frowned. “What?”

“You said…” Danny began, and then stopped. “Never mind.” She eyed Laura with an odd look.

There was a silence. Laura felt uncomfortably like she’d said something wrong. She tried to replay the last couple of minutes in her head, and couldn’t figure out what she’d done.

“So, what are your plans now that finals are over?” she asked as brightly as she could, trying to draw attention away from herself.

“Oh!” LaFontaine’s response was immediate, and enthusiastic. “I’ve got so many experiments I want to work on!”

Laura watched them fondly as they began to ramble. She’d never had a friend like LaFontaine before, but she couldn’t help loving them. They were so interesting, so fun.

Out of all my friends, I think I like LaFontaine the best, she decided.

“Really?” LaFontaine was smiling, seemingly trying not to laugh. Confused, Laura looked at Perry, who looked upset.

“Nice, Laura,” Danny said huffily, getting up and walking away.

Laura watched her go, bewildered. “What did I say?” she asked.

Perry’s hurt look dissipated. “Laura, I really think you’re not well,” she said. “You don’t even know what you’re saying! And look at you – you’re flushed, you’re confused…”

Forgetting to listen, Laura noticed Carmilla appear back in the room. She had a cut on her cheek. Mattie didn’t follow. Laura took her in, noticing her mussed, but sexy hair, her button up and her shorts. Her lips curved into a smile as she looked at her. She rated _this_ outfit ten out of ten.

Through her fog, she noticed her friends were staring at her.

“Well, how would you rate them, then?” she asked.

La Fontaine and Perry looked at one another. “Rate _what?_ ” Perry asked carefully.

Laura was nonplussed. “Carmilla’s outfits! From the 1600s! How sexy they were!” Dreamily, she looked away from them. “With the corsets so tight, and her breasts pushed up… Carmilla has such great breasts…”

“Well, I’m glad you think so, cutie,” came a drawling voice from behind her. “And now that you’ve disturbed practically everybody in this room, I think it’s time I put you to bed.”

“Wait!” Laura protested, as Carmilla helped her up off the couch. “Isn’t it someone’s birthday? I haven’t wished them a happy birthday!” Leaning her face close to Carmilla’s ear, and appearing to think she was whispering, she asked loudly, “Whose birthday is it, again?”

Wincing, Carmilla said, “We’ll deal with it in the morning, cupcake. Now say goodnight to your friends.”

“Goodnight,” Laura said obediently, letting Carmilla lead them towards the bedroom. She heard laughter behind her.

“Well,” Carmilla said, drawing back the covers and helping Laura get underneath them without even getting undressed. “You certainly did put on a show tonight.”

“Was I good?” Laura asked sleepily, laying down on the pillow. It felt wonderful.

“Very good,” Carmilla said drily. Pausing for minute, she said, “What sexy outfits were you referring to back there?”

Laura paused. “I think I might have failed my history exam,” she said, and fell asleep with her mouth open.


End file.
